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Caledonian Canal, Loch Oich to Cullochy Lock is a section of the early nineteenth-century waterway that connects Scotland's Atlantic and North Sea coasts through the Great Glen. This stretch links Loch Oich with Cullochy Lock in Inverness-shire, following a natural routeway used for centuries. The canal's construction, undertaken to enable vessels to bypass the hazardous waters of the Pentland Firth, represents a major feat of civil engineering during the Napoleonic Wars period.
The canal bed sits upon ancient felsic igneous rock of Neoproterozoic age, part of the complex geological foundations of the Scottish Highlands. This solid bedrock provided a secure foundation for the canal's construction, though the engineers who built it had to contend with the challenging terrain and water levels characteristic of the Great Glen. The section between these two locks demonstrates the careful integration of engineered structures with natural watercourses.
Today this portion of the Caledonian Canal remains operational as a navigation route and is a vital element of Scotland's inland waterway heritage. It is protected by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument under reference SM6495, recognising its significance as an outstanding example of early industrial-age engineering and its enduring importance to Scotland's infrastructure.
Caledonian Canal,Loch Oich to Cullochy Lock is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM6495. View the official record →
Caledonian Canal, Loch Oich to Cullochy Lock is a section of the early nineteenth-century waterway that connects Scotland's Atlantic and North Sea coasts through the Great Glen. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM6495.
Caledonian Canal,Loch Oich to Cullochy Lock is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM6495.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Caledonian Canal,Cullochy Lock (0.6 km), Caledonian Canal,Cullochy Lock to Kyltra Lock (2.2 km), Torr Dhuin,fort,Fort Augustus (3.5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Caledonian Canal,Loch Oich to Cullochy Lock's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Caledonian Canal,Loch Oich to Cullochy Lock stands on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Neoproterozoic, bedrock that formed in the Neoproterozoic. The rock here is felsic-rock.